Once Upon a Time in the West (Warriors 122, Mavs 120)

Against good teams, you are given only so many opportunities to win a game. The Warriors needed every last one of them in their thrilling overtime win against Dallas on Tuesday night. If one of their shots had been a half-inch off or a half-second later — or if Jermaine O’Neal’s block had been a half a fingernail lower — the Warriors would be in a very different playoff posture right now. But sometimes the shots go in and the stops are clean. The Warriors not only rose to the magnitude of the moment once again, but they found new and encouraging ways to get the win.

Well, that last line isn’t entirely true. Having Stephen Curry hit a miracle buzzer-beater isn’t new anymore. It’s almost routine at this point in the season. But the team effort that put Curry in a position to win the game was the single best thing to come from this uneven performance. In the first and third quarters, the Warriors executed the inside-outside offense that we all envisioned when this team was assembled on paper. The guards probed, finding cutters for easy baskets. When the defense collapsed to deny those looks, the perimeter threats found wide-open looks from behind the arc. Curry may have been the instigator with the defensive attention he now commands, but Thompson, Iguodala, O’Neal, Speights and Crawford all got the ball in their comfort zones and contributed points. These performances were the crucial missing ingredients from the Knicks loss.

There were heroic moments from players up and down the roster, but these stood out:

Stephen Curry — After struggling to move the ball under pressure for the last few weeks, Curry finally returned to the high pick-and-roll to help break the logjam. In the churn generated by high screens, Curry found enough daylight to hit open teammates cutting to the rim and abandoned shooters waiting on the perimeter. His 10-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is more indicative than any other stat of how masterfully he controlled this game, down to the last 0.1 second.

Andre Iguodala — Slowly but surely, the hesitation is receding from Iguodala’s offensive game. His 7 made field goals marks his highest count since January 10. None was bigger than his three at the end of the fourth quarter, as the Warriors frantically closed the Mavs’ late-game lead. Iguodala worked from both the paint and behind the arc, taking full advantage of the open opportunities created by the attention Curry and Thompson attracted. That space on offense is a resource that the Warriors have wasted too frequently this season, either due to the inability to move the ball to it or the reluctance of other Warriors to take advantage of it. Against Dallas, Iguodala and others used it well.

Jermaine O’Neal — No one appreciates the fleeting nature of these opportunities more than the Warriors’ elder statesman O’Neal. He wasn’t going to let the playoffs slip from their grasp. From opening tip to final block, O’Neal turned in one of his finest performances of the season. He was hyper-efficient in the paint (9-12) and a factor late at the defensive end, denying penetration and changing shots. I don’t know how many more games like this O’Neal has left in his body, but this one was well spent.

Marreese Speights — The Warriors signed Speights to be Carl Landry’s replacement. For much of the season, his shot chart has looked much more like Jarrett Jack’s. But against Dallas, every single one of Speights’ 7 shots was within a foot of the paint. Many were dunks — including a missed one that could have decided the game in regulation. This is the type of inside presence the Warriors have needed from Speights all season. It’s no coincidence that he’s finally showing it against the sizeless Mavs, in a game when he’s guaranteed minutes because of Lee and Bogut’s absence, but there’s no reason he can’t carry over this style of play to more limited minutes against other opponents. When Speights makes smart moves off the ball, Curry, Iguodala and others are capable of getting him the ball. The results — high-percentage looks from the interior — have been missing from the Warriors’ offense all season.

Klay Thompson — On the surface, Thompson’s 11-24, 27-point line looks pretty much like any other decent outing from earlier in the season. But as Thompson works to become more consistent, it’s worth considering not just how many points he scored, but how he scored them. Rather than simply living and dying behind the arc, Thompson made an effort early to attack the basket. His penetration seemed to energize the rest of his game at both ends. He took turns attempting to slow down Dirk (and was as successful as anyone) and seemed to find the rhythm of the game on offense. When it came time late for him to take big shots, they were entirely natural catch-and-shoots — within the flow of the game and as smooth as ever. His earlier work set the stage for what came later, and is an encouraging development as they near the playoffs, when even a short slump could be disastrous for the team’s offensive production.

Jordan Crawford — It’s hard in good conscience to endorse some of Crawford’s 27-footers, but this is his game. Fortunately he mixed his long-bombs with slashes to the rim, taking advantage of the Mavs’ soft interior. Crawford’s success is an example of when Jackson’s “flow coaching” may pay dividends. Jackson kept Crawford in the game so long as he was hot, and gave his boom-or-bust guard the green light. That approach won’t always have a happy ending, but it did on Tuesday.

Draymond Green — While the rest of the Warriors were filing up the scoring column on the box score, Green was working behind the scenes to make the win possible. His defense on Dirk was reminiscent of the physical harassment Stephen Jackson used during the We Believe series. His passing was spot-on, as he frequently served as the relay between a pressured Curry and an open teammate elsewhere on the court. In weighing the pros and cons of the injuries to David Lee and Andrew Bogut, there’s no bigger upside than swapping Lee’s often-suspect defense for 42 minutes of Green making opponents’ lives miserable.

Still, even with all these positives, there were stretches when the Warriors looked like they may succumb to their worst tendencies and give away a must-win game. In the second quarter, the defensive intensity fell apart, as the Mavs repeatedly used the pick-and-roll to draw away perimeter defenders. The Mavs shot an unbelievable 80% from behind the arc for the quarter because most of those shots were undefended. The Warriors adjusted in the second half, but it was an unnecessary loss of momentum following an inspired first quarter. On offense, Jackson still insists on his hockey substitutions. While the reserves didn’t give up the largest run of the night (that award goes to the starters, again immediately before halftime), their insertion in both the early second and fourth quarters marked a change in the Warriors’ momentum. There’s absolutely no reason Jackson’s substitutions need to be so rigid.

Big picture, the Warriors’ win over the Mavs can be viewed in two lights. Jackson and the team are sure to portray this win as further proof that the Warriors rise to challenges and execute when they are in must-win situations. If true, that bodes well for the playoffs — where the Warriors will be protected from the mediocre opponents that have tormented them all season. But viewed in a less rosy light, the win over the Mavs shows a Warriors team still largely dependent on high-risk, high-reward outside shooting. Without a flurry of late threes from Thompson and Iguodala, this would have just been another case of a blown fourth-quarter lead. While the offense was unquestionably more diversified than the past few games, I’d ultimately categorizing this win as thrilling, but not confidence-inspiring.

Adam Lauridsen

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His role is to come in and score points. When it isn’t happening you do something else. Most teams have someone like this.

Tired

The microwave!

JanG

Pretty obvious mistake. And in looking at the video, it might have actually gone in. Any other coach would have gone insane. Could you imagine if that happened to Doc Rivers, Thibodeau, or Pop?

Tired

I think Blake is floundering, as you say, because of the nature of the sub team right now. it has no consistency and Crawford is a black hole so Blake has to decide whether or not to give the ball to Crawford on every play. It is sort of back to square one with the subs. He passes the ball to Barnes and he gets an ISO. He passes it to JON and he gets an ISO. Speights, Dray? who knows.
Things are a bit mixed up right now. At least he is managing the team when he is in there. He is also looking for Curry off the ball more than Jack did last year, which makes that scheme work much better than it was. He is playing a lot more with the starters, which is what I didn’t like with jack because everyone knew he was unlikely to pass and if he did it would be late and possibly into a crowd. Blake is much better at staying out of that kind of trouble and getting the ball to others.
Blake had almost quit shooting there for a couple of games, i guess because he was having success moving it around. But with the current variable mix of players, I think he is less comfortable.
I’m not worried about him. I am worried about the people who don’t pass the ball when they get it.

Our Team

knbr this am had a post-game interview of a Mav who said they questioned the ref re why no goaltending call on the late JON play and the ref said the shot was two feet short so not goaltending.

JanG

As I often do, I’ve visited a number of Spurs blog site to see what their fans are saying. Overwhelmingly, their fans are looking ahead to their matchup with OKC tomorrow night. They feel Pop should not play the starters or limit their minutes as this will be a route anyway. They think Danny on Steph and Kwai on Klay will be all they need to win this game.

The fact that they have a big game tomorrow night, the W’s are on the road, no one expects them to win (odds favor Spurs by 10), the W’s just came off an exhausting overtime thriller, and Bogut/Lee are out makes me believe this team might be just ready for the challenge. A win on this court would send ripples around the league that the W’s should be feared as a first round opponent. This game is about respect. They have it. We want it!

dr_john

And of trading a valued asset for a speculative gain, by a front office with a pretty good idea of how to mange risk vs. reward.

Tired

You have to remember that living up to your expectations, or anyone else’s, is not the most important thing for a young player. Let him mature at his own pace- and i would think some better guidance would help a lot.

Last night we saw two former Ws who never lived up to the expectations of a lot of people on here. The other night we saw Marco B. after what, 5 years? Check out all the players around the league after 2- 4 years. How many of them would be up to your expectations after 2 years? Many of them have already crashed and burned.

I’m tired of all the Barnes bashing and whether players are living up to peoples’ desires and expectations. OK, I know it is a blog kind of thing, but it comes off to me like bench jockeying.

Barnes will do well right now in the roles he feels comfortable in. He has lost some confidence in his shot, though, it seems to me. I wouldn’t count on him for much this year in the playoffs, but you never know what might happen in certain circumstances.

I’m still wondering how they would be grooming him in San Antonio.

playdefense

True, Blake still got three assists in 13 min, despite his O’fer in shooting.

“Worried” is probably a little too harsh, but I could see him getting more open looks and directing the team to move off the ball more to get similar PnRs and drive-and-kicks. Recently, he seems to have been less of a factor and we know he can be, given his impact immediately after the acquisition.

Tired

They sure did. That last foul on Thompson by Dirk was especially hard to swallow.

Tired

sad to say you may be right.

Tired

Right on.

playdefense

Not my expectations– analysts who hyped him since High School. But I take what you said in earnest– it takes time to be a valuable player in the league. Not everyone can do it even after several seasons.

You’ll also note that I said at the beginning there’s no reason to give up on Barnes already.

Our Team

Re Barnes, he is short on confidence and a few very key skills but long on athleticism/talent. Guys with his athleticism and size are hard to come by. Actually, overall I think MJ has done a nice job being patient with him and standing by him but not so great at teaching him the fundamentals or installing an offensive system that will assist his development. I have said from the beginning with Barnes: you can’t judge him too much until he’s been in the NBA for 3 years. Next year will be his third year and he’ll only be 22 years old! Green is 24, I believe. I remember some (e.g., feltbot) judging Brandan Wright so harshly when he was a very young and inexperienced Warrior. Wright hurt us badly last night. There are some similarities between Barnes and Wright but I believe Barnes has significantly more upside. Patience is in order. Fortunately, I think this Ownership/management group is willing to be patient with Barnes. It was with Klay Thompson. Until a month ago, he was wildly inconsistent. Now, he’s starting to put it together and really help the team on a consistent basis. At the ripe old age of 24. When Barnes is 24, he sould be a strong contributor to this team.

sartre

“Can’t get away with ANYthing on this blog….”

Resistance is futile.

Newtah

Happy for the win but that shot looked like it was going in from the half court cam angle.

Peter Moto

partisans use the word ‘talent’ for nearly everyone they fancy wearing the laundry they root for, and safe to say nearly every member of the exclusive 400+ club of n.b.a. playing professionals has talent to a degree. what does barnes have surpassing skill (sustained execution under duress) in ? running fast in a straight line in open space only occasionally works in elite level hoops contests, the same with jumping high if there are no large contesting competitors impeding one’s route. some propose the existence of a psychological impediment, pressure or confidence or another rationalization picked from the grab bag. are those supposed to evaporate when the climate changes, or decrease when he ages a bit — why would they not increase over time after extended frustration ?

playdefense

I personally just don’t have faith in him myself.. Suffice it to say, I’m in agreement with Chris and Col on just worrying how/where his type of play ends us generally.

We wouldn’t be having this argument if Barnes became our off-bench scorer, but sadly, we are where we are.. a playoff team with championship aspirations and a super star. It’s a tough life.

Bill Persons

From my angle, the trouble with Crawford is that he can do a great deal of damage – good or bad in an incredibly short amount of time. In a few moments, he can grind the offense to a halt, shoot the lights out on the other team, make horrendously confidence-sapping choices, and give up points on defense. I can’t think of one defensive play the guy has ever made, one amazingly unexpected pass. All the while, the look on the guy’s face suggests that he’s either unconscious or looking at teammates for whatever negative thing happens. I cringe every time he enters a game or touches the ball, and while I am pleased during the times he provides needed daggers, I always figure it only encourages him to chuck up shots when he otherwise absolutely should pass.

Big gamble with Crawford, given what his objectives SHOULD be. Perhaps for many, the risk outweighs the reward on a far too regular basis.

JEY

Sorry Peter, I’m confused.

Just to sum: What has Barnes shown that he can grow beyond his past performances?

sartre

I know you respect Jim Barnett’s BB knowledge and integrity. He expressed a lot of excitement about Barnes’ potential, athleticism, and talent last season, often saying that ‘Barnes doesn’t know how good he is yet’. Barnes has his limitations as a player and his rookie season was inconsistent but his averages mostly corresponded to the league average for a SF. His playoffs performances for a 20 year old were worthy of praise no matter how much some bend over backwards to dismiss them as solely a product of favorable match-ups. To deny that there was some legitimate basis for feeling excited about Barnes’ potential is incredulous. What is so concerning about his current season has been the increasing decline in his performances and its palpable effect upon his confidence. I’m not sure what it is about a polite, personable, and hard working young man that inspires such vocal and seemingly near obsessive negativity from some quarters.

playdefense

I don’t disagree that a streaky shooter can be useful. I just think he’s got a lot more negatives to offset than his streaky shooting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m rooting for him to make the most of it and respect your and others’ opinions on this. Regardless, we ride with what we have for the rest of the year– we have to maximize it.

I guess I pine for him to pass and play D a little more than his supporters– obviously the latter is something I harp on eponymously. 🙂

willow

So forget he included the word talent. Do you not think he is athletic (and has size – at least for the small forward position)?
Further, do you not believe he will learn and increase his skills (or lack thereof) with practice and instruction?
What is it about Barnes that causes you to lack patience or hope for his improvement?
Or is it simply the fact that so many are hopeful (and have, perhaps, overestimated his potential) that causes you to be less so?
Other than NBF and Knick, I thought this board was largely for Warriors fans. Shouldn’t Warriors fans be optimistic and patient about a young player still on a rookie scale contract? There is plenty of time to become pessimistic about his lack of progression (as of late). Why start now (or in your case a long time ago)?

Peter Moto

the readers/contributors here are a diverse bunch, so in case anyone didn’t catch what the title of this chapter refers to —

one of the greatest films in the ‘western’ genre, and one of S.Leone’s (who taught Eastwood much of what he knows as a director and producer) two best works. henry fonda is brilliantly cast against type in a story line relevant to the recent court decision supporting plutocracy.

Bryan Hsiao

some of those are fouls uncalled. Dirk was getting away with murders on those swipes.

JEY

Nice research JanG!

Spurs have got a beastly bench and multi-faceted big men, though. No doubt, our Dubs want this, but talent for talent, I think they match us. And then system for system… well… it’s Pop. They have very little volatility in their confidence, structured around their game plan and sets.

When the Dubs soar, they really take off though. So hopefully we get that side of them tonight! I’m thinking we’ll need Blake to finally get out of his rut for this to be even close. If he can’t manage the game, then it’ll be Spurs by 15, I think.

I’d be interested to see if Blake is clearly having an off game, will Jax switch someone else in to run back-up pt for Steph? The Dre experiment largely failed, but in spurts, I think it’s still a good idea.

JEY

I think the refs only apologize for plays that have been requested for review by the clubs. I’m not certain though. I wonder if the Warriors spend resources to review plays in games where they won.

sartre

Rod Thorn, NBA President, Basketball Operations, issued the following statement today regarding a non-call during overtime of the Golden State Warriors’ 122-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on April 1, at American Airlines Center:

“Upon review at the league office, we have found that a shot taken by Dallas’ Monta Ellis with 16.0 seconds remaining in overtime was on the way down when initially contacted and ruled a block by Golden State’s Jermaine O’Neal, and should have been ruled a goaltend.

“The exact trajectory of the ball when touched was impossible to ascertain with the naked eye, and the play was not reviewable.”

I’m not a big fan of these efforts towards greater officiating transparency. Every game throws up bad or questionable calls and I see little sense in occasionally and selectively calling only one of them out.

Peter Moto

P.Mills is possibly a peer in the ‘undervalued’ listings, with less invested in him than a first round pick. without him, SA would have difficulty sustaining success when parker gets sidelined.

SA’s acumen in developing players starts with its evaluation and identification of players granted a place in their ‘academy’. so far lacob and myers appear to be operating on a couple of basic precepts (size gets a big premium) and hope to get lucky. their one unqualified success with an unproven hopeful is green, who was generally considered small to play the four and subsequently lost weight after his rookie season.

a good test for their eval skill will be NN, in whom they’ve invested a first round pick and the obligatory contractual commitment that comes with signing a first rounder. right in lacob’s back yard and well known to bogut from Oz’s national squad, Dellavedova had a stellar career at St.Mary’s, didn’t get drafted, signed with Cle for <500k., and has progressed well as a rookie reserve combo guard. we won't know anything about NN for another 7-8 months at the earliest.

sartre

Mills has really come on this season and been a valuable backup. The Spurs are the gold standard in terms of scouting and developing players but even they get it wrong on occasions – just less often.

JEY

Tonight, we see how much defensive intensity the Warriors can muster.

I don’t see how the Warriors are getting 90+ points against the Spurs defense. Certainly not the 122 they posted against the Mavs. It would take a truly incendiary night from Curry/Thompson (perhaps 24 pts each) to get them above 90. I think JON has been hugely reliable with his 13 pts against all aging odds. Green usually chips in 7-8 pts. Barnes maybe with 6. Then the bench will toss in about 16 pts. Maybe.

Then we have to hold off the likes of Splitter, Green, Leonard, Belinelli, Mills, Diaw. Then we’re uncertain whether Pop will throw in Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli. I’m having my faith tested tonight.

A win would have to be 89-87.
A loss will be 83-102.

embamba

Sometimes I wonder if it’s best to run a “normal” set and take a good shot when it comes, even if it’s with 4 seconds, or even 8 seconds, left. Then, the defense doesn’t know exactly what’s coming or when. The Warriors have done that sometimes this year with good results. Of course after one of those times, Lebron hit a similar shot to the one Curry made last night and the Ws lost the game. But if a player dribbles out the clock and shoots at the last instant or close to it, it all becomes very predictable and easier to defend. After all, it’s a big benefit to the defense when they know who’s going to shoot and when.

Either scenario is going to work out sometimes and not others. So any single case is not enough evidence to prove anything. The Miami game suggests that taking the last shot and risking no worse than OT is the way to go. But I’d think that odds are against teams scoring in these situations with so little time left, so taking the easier shot when it’s there, even if it’s earlier, might play out better over time. I suppose big factors in deciding what to do are the opponent’s defense and who’s going to get the ball for that final, brief possession if “we” decide to try and score early.

The Warriors have won a relatively large number of games this year on last possession heroics. Had these not worked out so well, they’d be missing the playoffs. OTOH, we’re too aware of the eight bad home losses to teams they “should” have beaten. So this 51-52 win season could have been a 46 win season or a 58 win season with the team having played a similar caliber of basketball. No conclusions there, just a thought…

playdefense

Well, said. I’ve been one of the guys who’s been hard on Barnes, perhaps too much, though I do always temper it with the “he’s still young” statement too. I’m going to preface this with: I still think he’ll come out of his funk and be valuable.

The thing is:
* Barnes’ upside was Kobe Bryant at one point, back in his HS days.
* His downside could be someone like Harold Miner (though a guard).
* His most likely scenario is probably something akin with Gerald Green.

We know now that being like Kobe is lofty and a pipe dream. Kobe was already averaging 20ppg as a 21 year old and started in the league at 18, and had the benefit of playing with another future HOF’er, Shaq.

Miner was known as a dunker, who averaged ~10 ppg. He fell out of the league after four years, never figuring out his place.

Gerald Green is very serviceable (and having a career year with PHX). It took him eight years to figure it out apparently and he had to be in the right system.

Barnes seems a harder worker than Green. Even if he becomes as good as Green that probably falls short of what the team expected of him on draft day. If it takes him eight years to figure it out, HB will likely not make his potential as a Warrior.

I think that’s the biggest concern: he might not get it while he’s with us..

While I certainly agree that we should give kudos to guys like Belinelli, Wright, and others who make it later– I still have a place in my heart for ’em– it doesn’t help the Dubs at all. If I calculate right, Harrison will turn 24 right after the season where he has a team-option, which puts it dangerously close to a point where he might be let go for “other options,” etc.

He definitely still has time to be a big part of the Dubs though, but I hope it’s within the next season or two for our team’s sake. Either way, I wish him well certainly.

playdefense

I agree — I still have faith in Barnes’ potential. I may say negative things about Barnes, so it doesn’t translate across the blog, but I still believe there is reason to hope for the guy certainly.

playdefense

Good call.. that said, I think Mills deserves a lot of credit for shaping himself up too. The Dubs thought he was a potential guy for them at one point, but he didn’t quite push himself to be in the shape he is in now. This year, he’s been stellar.

Of course, playing for a championship-caliber team like the Spurs can also inspire guys to get it straight. So perhaps they scout well and create their own luck. 🙂

Thurston Hunger

The parallels are promising/troubling as you;ve mapped out PD. Here/s another reminder Monta sitting on the bench for much of the W’s We Believe playoff run, at least Harrison had clear contributions last post-season, and even early this season he has shown flashes.

Hope this funk breaks for him, and as you and I discussed below, Barnes should have opportunity with some of their upcoming games. Maybe let him take AI’s role with the starters, or let him get some time with Bogut on the court to see if their chemistry extends beyond Bogut.

Another plus (or minus depending on how folks feel about HB) is MJax willingness to stick by Harrison, although recently Dr. John and others have had their wish granted and HB seems to have dropped below Draymond and even Mo.

I still think let Harrison rebound like a mad man and go back up for opportunity buckets rather than run iso’s through him.

It was not so long ago that folks were frustrated with Klay, and man has he turned a page without even a summer to work on his drives to the basket. So who knows Harrison could become a secret weapon again this post-season.

Like to see him become a guy next year who leads the W’s in FT’s. I think his athleticisim makes that a distinct possibility.

sartre

It is hard not to feel disappointment in the quality of his play and inability to contribute when it would really help.

Thurston Hunger

Exactly Sartre, although it is still a bit of a bummer in most cases to see Monta not getting calls (just as it was for Klay not getting the fouls on Dirk, although the conniption fit Fitz had made even me embarrassed to feel that way).

Getting foul calls is a step towards the W’s being an upper echelon team.

But not getting calls is just part of the game (still sucks and I feel for Mavs fans on that Monta call).

Believewhat

My prediction, Warriors win 97-91

JEY

Ooooh. Very ambitious 😀
Looking forward to you being right, Believe!

sartre

Your capacity for empathy is remarkable. You do realize that Mav fans are Texans?

Believewhat

What Barnes done in last year’s playoffs is good enough for me, may be too low of expectation or may be not for a #7 pick. You are right about him running fast in straight line only, but that is something he can work on. He does have good enough handle to get open for a jumper for himself, so he needs to improve his jumper too. He may never become a complete package but has chance to become a Jeff Green.

Peter Moto

why now — in a game when the team absolutely needed reserves to step up, green, speights, o’neal, even crawford responded, and the preacher only found 13 min. for barnes.

my own preference for perspective on the team would be to consider what non-partisans might see. when they play ugly hoops, would just as soon watch them get humbled, the better to learn from their ways.

part of the team’s inconsistencies on offense comes from heavy dependence on curry, thompson, lee, though one of the resident savants here likes to point out their record when curry scores < 20. lacob and myers didn't add an established scorer last summer for the bench, after letting two such scorers depart. not prudent, unless like fans they thought barnes would provide bench scoring. do fans believe as strongly now, willing to go another summer without adding a scorer who can hit (and defend) 3's ?

Peter Moto

consider how often Cle gets it wrong. GS was entertaining in its fashion when it was like Cle, and we could see players like r.williams, morrow, tolliver.

dr_john

C’mon Pop—just let ’em play through it.

sartre

Cleveland have made a series of three questionable drafting decisions with their high picks. The Dubs were very good at finding good value d-league players or undrafted rookies for a time – CJ Watson and Buke being two more that come to mind.

jsl165

I learned my lesson on this with a very similar type: Nate Robinson. I used to shudder every time he came in — and almost didn’t like it when he scored, cuz he would then shoot even more. When he left, I was happy.

Then, when he was with the Bulls, I made crack about him, and Doc ran out some stats that convinced me I was missing the forest for some trees.

My conclusion? A streaky shooter is a good thing on a good, smart team — because he can turn things around fast. (You just have to pull him fast when he’s off.) It’s something of luxury, for sure, but it made the diff last night.

I’d rather have the Microwave, of course; but I also prefer Herky-Jerky to Nate. If we can do better, great. But, if not, I like having this kid on our bench.

jsl165

I believe Fonda was wearing contacts to make his eyes look even bluer. He loved that role.

jsl165

Almost immediately after the Dirk hack on Klay. Potato, potahto.

Bryan Hsiao

Warriors 6-0 run, Pop stopped the game with a time out and came back with 14-0 run of spurs. MJack FINALLY decided to call a TO.